Happy Birthday Bailarina!!!

3 today bless her and no party!!!

Cruel Aunty Larri even made her dress up in lots of gear and do circles before she got her pressie - some Stud Muffin treats lol!

It was quite a big day for her as she had boots, a lunge cavesson and even very very loose side reins on for the first time today as I was going to work on the lunging.

Any way she came in and had a lovely full groom then I got all the new gear out (new to her, some of it I've had for years ...and years..lol!) and let her have a good sniff at the boots ( overreach and brushing) before putting them on.

Bless her she did the big stepping baby oooh what's on my leg thing for a couple of steps but then pretty much forgot they were there.
Popped the cavesson on..not massively happy with the fit, but I'll have a play with all the straps and buckles and see if I can get it better next time - I didn't want to be fussing around her face too much. She's had this on once before for a walk, but I was actually going to attach the rein and side reins to it for the first time - nothing attached on the bit yet.

Pad & roller on and she doesn't bat an eye at this now, so it'll not be long before we have a go with my Phoenix saddle.

Off up into the school and then I let her go so she could get used to the feel of the boots and the cavesson...hmmmm it was an interestingly athletic response is all I'll say lol!!

Sadly I didn't manage to capture it on camera for posterity!!

Once she'd had her funny five minutes I free schooled her using voice and lunge whip and got this really lovely shot of her

Sorry it's a bit lopsided, but I only had my phone and it's a rubbish quality picture because I had the zoom on...superhubby will be called upon to take proper shots, hopefully at the weekend

Anyway as you can she trots so beautifully in balance with a lovely length of stride and she wasn't fazed by the boots or cavesson being on at all once we were in work mode.

So I popped the lunge line and the side reins on - very loosely attached to the side rings on the cavesson. She has a bit of a princess head tossing moment..it all made quite an interesting jangle which I think Little B found quite amusing!

We started on the right rein and tonight I sent her straight out onto the circle, she was a little nappy to the gate and it took a couple of circles before she clicked into concentrating as she gave me a bit more head tossing as got used to the feel of the cavesson and a rein on her nose. Once she settled she was super, very good to my voice with a good steady trot, down into a nice swinging walk and a lovely halt transition. She doesn't even attempt to come in or swing round once I ask her to stand, which is just amazing for a baby.

Heaps of praise and then I sent her out on the left rein for five minutes, much steadier this way, in fact I had to position myself behind her to push her forwards. I asked for a couple of walk trot transitions on this rein to sharpen her up a little which were just lovely, then another couple of circuits of trot, a bit of a long drawn out walk, but an on the button halt again.

What a clever girl!

We then stood and chatted to Roz one of the other liveries who'd been watching and she had an in my face moment then got silly about stepping back out of my space - cheeky little Moo. I growled and firmly walked into her space with a finger to her chest and praised as soon as she moved her weight, then asked again normally and she stepped back nicely....sometimes I think she's so chuffed at doing things right she just forgets herself in haze of I'm so clever smugness and needs a little reminder lol!!

Back to her stable for her Stud Muffin treats and a little feed, a brush off and back to her field.

Tonight she was untacked loose and didn't move once I'd placed her..she really is getting the idea of this standing still lark, bless her

She'll have tomorrow off then we'll be out and about on the long lines on Wednesday, can't wait!